Show Customers Your Chill with Slush Machines

Are you interested in diversifying the range of drinks your restaurant has on offer? Or perhaps you need a new way to draw in customers during the last warm days of late summer and early fall?  Adding slush machines to your restaurant, cafe, or stand can be the perfect solution.

Slush machines, also called granita machines, can easily pay for themselves thanks to many long years of work, and plenty of satisfied customers enjoying their icy beverages.  They are also remarkably versatile.  It's easy to hear "slush" and think of sugary drinks for kids, but slush machines can also be used for iced coffees, fruit or vegetable blends, or even for iced alcoholic drinks like trendy wine slushes.

You can get plenty of profit from a granita machine just from providing old favorites, but there's also a lot of room for experimentation and the creation of unique menu items!

Our team at Zanduco Restaurant Equipment & Supplies takes a look at some of your options.

Types of Slush Machines Available

Fundamentally, you have several choices to make when choosing between granita machines.

I. Liquid vs Powder

Slush mixes can come in either liquid or powdered form.  Generally, a machine will be suited for one type rather than both, although not always.  If you have to choose, liquid type machines are usually going to be best for a full cafe or restaurant, since they give you more options in what you put in.

II. Auto-fill vs Manual

Auto-fill vs manual is a bit more complicated.  If it's an auto-fill slush machine, it has hookups which attach directly to the mix sources, and it will refill itself as the slush inside is used. This is excellent in situations where there's high demand because it limits how often your employees have to manually mess with the machine and refill it. On the other hand, auto-fill machines are also going to be more prone to breakdown, since they have many more moving parts.  Also, they are considerably more expensive than manual slush machines.

III. How many mixing bowls?

You can get slush machines with different numbers of mixing bowls, usually with either single, double, or triple nozzles, allowing you to serve multiple slushes at once.  This will impact how many different icy drinks you can serve. Don't forget the results can be mixed to create more variations.  Three mixers with compatible flavors can yield up to seven distinct drink types!

IV. What capacity?

Before investing in a slush machine, consider how many slush beverages you think you'll be serving.  Mixed slush can stay in a machine for quite a while, but you don't want to run out because then it can take 30+ minutes to freeze a new batch. To give you a guideline:  A single-bowl mixer holding only one gallon can serve ten 12oz drinks per hour.  A three-gallon bowl can serve around thirty.  A large three-bowl machine can serve up to around eighty. 

Zanduco Has Your Commercial Food Service Equipment!

From slush machines to interior decoration, Zanduco Restaurant Equipment & Supplies has everything you need to make your restaurant a success.  Learn more by checking our catalog and contact us for more information.